The 2012 Mitsubishi i-Miev will fit specific driving situations well, such as a 20-mile suburban commute, but above the base trim level its price comes too close to that of the more capable Nissan Leaf.

Preparing for the official launch of the i-Miev electric car in the U.S., Mitsubishi let us spend some time with a Japanese market model. Using it as a city car, it proved perfectly adequate for driving around San Francisco.